Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras

Optional add-on to the Great Barrier Reef - March 8-11, 2011!.

Zoom Vacations has cooked up a special trip for those who crave stunning scenery, delicious dining, exciting excursions, and likeable locals. Zoom Australia includes accommodations at the perfect 5 star hotel and special Aussie activities prepared exclusively for Zoom travelers, all culminating at Sydney Mardi Gras.

We have upgraded our hotel to arguably the BEST hotel in the City, the Four Seasons, at no additional cost to our travelers. The hotel made us an offer we simply couldn't refuse for our 2011 trip, and are passing the savings on to you! This is the year to join Zoom in Sydney for Mardi Gras!

Australians have a reputation for being fun, friendly, and fabulous. During Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, they take this to another level, and Zoom Vacations is at the forefront of the excitement! You don't want to be left out of this one, mate!

By the end of your trip, it will be hard to distinguish Australia's best feature. Its sensational cities, pristine beaches, phenomenal rock formations, lush rainforests, and world-renowned reef are all in the running. However, what you will undoubtedly remember most are the people.

Zoom Vacations has upgraded our hotel to arguably the BEST hotel in the City, the Four Seasons, at no additional cost to our travelers. The hotel made us an offer we simply couldn't refuse for our 2010 trip, and are passing the savings on to you! This is the year to join Zoom in Sydey for Mardi Gras!

This is the 33rd Anniversary of the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras!

Package Highlights

• 5 nights accommodations in a Sydney's finest Five Star Hotel, rated #1 by Condé Nast Traveler

• Lavish Buffet Breakfast Daily

• Complimentary Espresso Bar all day long

• Complimentary Internet

• Evening cocktails every night, including an open bar of fine Australian wine, champagne, beer, sushi, and other appetizers--all complimentary!

• Welcome Cocktail Event where you will get to know your fellow travelers and your Zoom Concierge

• Services of a professional Zoom Concierge™ throughout the trip. This trip will be personally escorted by Zoom owners Joel Cabrera and Bryan Herb. Zoom Vacations is a certified Australia specialist!

• Zoom Welcome cocktail and dinner event at one of Sydney's best gourmet restaurants with stunning views of the Sydney Opera House, Darling Harbor, and the Sydney Harbor Bridge at night, where you will get to know your fellow travelers and your Zoom Concierge.

• A private Taste of Sydney Tour where you will take a harbor cruise, visit Darling Harbor, the Sydney Harbor Bridge, the Royal Botanical Gardens, Bondi Beach and the main architectural sights in Sydney including an in-depth privately guided tour behind the sails of the Sydney Opera House.

• Tour to the stunning Blue Mountains and the interactive Featherdale Wildlife Park where you will hand feed a kangaroo, wallaby and emu and enjoy a face-to-face encounter with friendly koalas.

• Sydney Mardi Gras Parade Glamour Bar. This is the most glamorous way to view the parade, within arms reach of the parade. Your entrance ticket to this VIP stand up bar area includes all of your food and drinks for the evening, a raised viewing platform, a DJ performing exclusively for Glamour Bar Zoom guests, and its own toilet amenities. The Glamour Bar menu includes gourmet snack s and canapés served by a team of wait staff and two food stalls offering hand prepared items by special chefs throughout the night. Beer, wine, sparkling wine and soft drinks are all inclusive and served from a number of bars around the Glamour Bar site.

• Includes 10% Government Service Tax

• Admissions where applicable.

• Cusomize your trip with Zoom a la carte activities such as the Bridge Climb, and High Speed Boat blast of the Harbor.

• Plus, see for an exciting optional add-on package to the Great Barrier Reef!

Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Tour Itinerary

Day 1 - Thursday, March 3, 2011
3 PM - Official check into the Four Seasons Hotel Sydney

Evening: Cocktails and canapés with fellow Zoom guests
All meet in the Four Seasons Executive Club, Level 32 for evening cocktails, canapés and some great Australian wines for which Australia is famous. You will also get to know your fellow Zoomers and your Zoom Concierge, Joel Cabrera.
N.B. The Four Seasons Executive Club opens at 5 PM. So you are welcome to arrive early and enjoy.

Evening: Zoom Welcome Dinner

Accommodations: Four Seasons Sydney, City View Room, with Executive Club access

Meals Included: Dinner and Evening Cocktails and Canapés

Day 2 - Friday, March 4, 2011
6:30 AM – 10:30 AM - Full Australian Breakfast in the Four Seasons Executive Club, Level 32.

Morning: Featherdale Wildlife Park and Blue Mountains Excursion
Today we will hand-feed a kangaroo, wallaby and emu and enjoy a face-to-face encounter with friendly koalas. Featherdale is one of Australia's largest private collections of Australian native animals and bird life. After our visit with the animals, we will proceed to the spectacular Blue Mountains. Experience fresh mountain air as you rise above Sydney and enter the spectacular Blue Mountains region. The Blue Mountains is perfect for exploring the best that nature has to offer. We visit ancient Aboriginal sites and outstanding lookouts, and examine rock formations and the unusual plants and wildlife that abound in the area. From the quaint little village of Leura we skirt around Cliff Drive to Katoomba where you will find yourself looking out over the magnificent Jamieson Valley and the Three Sisters (time permitting).
Duration: All day.
5 PM: Return to the hotel.

Evening: Cocktails and canapés with fellow Zoom guests
Come up to the Four Seasons Club Room Lounge on Level 32 to enjoy canapés and have a cocktail.

Nighttime: Mardi Gras Festival Bar
We'll head over to Oxford Street to partake in the Mardi Gras Festival Bar and other festivities. Check out a fantastic mix of cabaret, live music, dance parties, exhibitions and more in Darlinghurst.

Accommodations: Four Seasons Sydney, City View Room, with Executive Club access

Meals Included: Full Australian Breakfast as well as Evening Cocktails and Canapés

Day 3 - Saturday, March 5, 2011
6:30 AM – 10:30 AM - Full Australian Breakfast in the Four Seasons Executive Club, Level 32.

Morning: Zoom Vacations Taste of Sydney Tour.
Pick up this afternoon by private coach for a 3-hour Taste of Sydney tour. We'll see traditional sights like the Sydney Opera House ($102 million dollars of magnificent architecture graciously overlooking Sydney Harbor) from the base of Sydney's famous Harbor bridge, the Conservatorium of Music, Parliament House, the old Mint Building, beautiful Hyde Park, St Mary's Cathedral, the Art Gallery and Domain. We will also visit the Imperial Hotel, home of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, and take in the views from Bondi Beach.
1:30 PM: Return to the hotel.

Evening: Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade
We depart the hotel and Zoom to the parade in our private coach, observing all the festivities along the way. You will be one of a limited number of guests allowed into the Glamour Bar to enjoy all the color and spectacle of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade. A star-studded line-up of performers will keep us entertained as we watch the parade, and drinks and food (included) will keep our tummies happy throughout the evening!

Accommodations: Four Seasons Sydney, City View Room, with Executive Club access

Meals Included: Full Australian Breakfast as well as Evening Cocktails and Canapés

Day 4 - Sunday, March 6, 2011
6:30 AM – 10:30 AM - Full Australian Breakfast in the Four Seasons Executive Club, Level 32.

Late Morning: Sydney Opera House Essential Privately Guided Tour.
We depart the hotel for a 20 minute walk to the Sydney Opera House. Only a handful of buildings around the world are as architecturally and culturally significant as the Sydney Opera House. But what sets it apart from, say, the Taj Mahal and the Great Pyramids of Egypt is that this is a working building. Our guide will take you on an emotional journey, engrossing you in a story to rival any opera plot with its dramatic twists and turns. See inside the world's most recognizable sails. Experience this miracle of architecture and engineering. A work of art that came into existence against impossible odds - to become one of the busiest performing arts centers in the world.
Duration: 1 hour.

Optional Event: Harbour'10 Party
Sunset dance party in Sydney's most beautiful location, Harbour '10 offers up the hottest DJs to the hottest crowd. With the iconic Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge as its backdrop, Harbour'10 is the dance event with the view! Set in the tropical surrounds of the Royal Botanic Gardens, with two beautiful garden dance floors, Harbour '10 is the perfect recovery after the Parade the night before.

Accommodations: Four Seasons Sydney, City View Room, with Executive Club access

Meals Included: Full Australian Breakfast as well as Evening Cocktails and Canapés

Day 5 - Monday, March 7, 2011
6:30 AM – 10:30 AM - Full Australian Breakfast in the Four Seasons Executive Club, Level 32.

Late Morning Optional Event: Sydney Bridge Climb

Afternoon Evening Optional Event:Mardi Gras Pool Party
Hang out by the pool, soaking up the sun and checking out the talent, while our DJs keep the party going well into the night. Featuring live performances from some of Sydney's best acts, and attracting the hottest party-goers the city has to offer, the Ivy Pool Bar is the place to see and be seen.

Accommodations: Four Seasons Sydney, City View Room, with Executive Club access

Meals Included: Full Australian Breakfast as well as Evening Cocktails and Canapés

Day 6 - Tuesday, March 8, 2011
6:30 AM – 10:30 AM - Full Australian Breakfast in the Four Seasons Executive Club, Level 32.

Departure day for Cairns Extension
or for flights back to home.

Meals Included: Full Australian Breakfast

Luxury Accommodations

The Four Seasons Hotel

Sydney, 5 stars

Stunningly situated overlooking Sydney Harbour in the historic Rocks district, a short walk from the city's shopping centers, Four Seasons is vibrant and elegant, with dramatic harbourfront views and a luxurious day spa featuring exclusive skincare and aromatherapy treatments.

The Hotel offers Sydney's largest heated outdoor hotel pool. Triangular in shape, the 20-metre (66-foot) pool also has a separate whirlpool. The adjacent Cabana restaurant is open during the summer months.

Incredible location! The Four Seasons is within walking distance of: Sydney Opera House, Sydney Botanical Gardens, Sydney Harbor Bridge, Darling Harbor, Pitt Street Mall, The Rocks, Queen Victoria Building, Cockle Bay, Circular Quay, Sydney Harbor, Sydney Aquarium, and more.

Readers of American Airline's Celebrated Living magazine, 2009 named the Four Season Hotel Sydney the BEST hotel in Australia/New Zealand/South Pacific!

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently asked questions, specific to our trip to Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.

Do I need a visa to travel to Australia?
If you are a United States, United Kingdom or other ETA-eligible passport holder and/or are traveling from the United States, you will need a visa to travel to Australia, and this can be coordinated by your airline or from the following site:http://www.eta.immi.gov.au/.

Into which airport do I need to fly?
You need to fly into the Sydney International Airport (SYD).

What day should I depart my home country?
You must depart your home country for arrival into Sydney on March 3rd. Travelers departing the States will usually leave the evening of March 2nd, and arrive two days later after crossing the international date line. There are exceptions however.

Can Zoom book extra days for me at the beginning or end of this trip?
Absolutely! Simply let us know the amount of days you need at the beginning and/or end of the trip, and we will book the nights you need (additional room night charges will apply).

If I am traveling as a single, does Zoom offer a roommate pairing program?
Absolutely! Before the trip, we will get to know all of our travelers, and we will use what we know about you to make the best pairing possible.

May I travel as a single without a roommate?
Absolutely, you may travel as a single and pay a single supplement, which varies depending on your time of booking.

What is the fitness level required for this trip?
This trip is easily accessible to a variety of fitness levels. None of our included activities require a high degree of athletic skill. However, your optional activities will give you the opportunity to make your vacation as active and/or adventuresome as you choose.